The Weekend Round-Up!

Some things happened this weekend. Here's a tidy recap of some of them.

BORAT
- Saw BORAT on Saturday with my girl. I just suggested that we go, on a whim and she was game for it. One quick taxi ride later, we had tickets for the 2pm showing. We killed time in the local bookstore, where one overzealous clerk cornered me in the "Local Interest" section and proceeded to pull books and hand them to me for perusal. I hadn't touched base with my girl, before getting pidgeon-holed by the clerk. After she left to go pimp books on someone else, I discretely snuck around the escalator and went up looking for my girl. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the clerk standing back at her post, giving me the stink-eye for not carrying a "Chicago Architecture" book with me.
The movie was at least twice as good as I thought it would be. I ended up laughing so hard at some of the horrible things that happen in there, that I was crying. Same thing with my girl. Periodically, she would have to cover her mouth, she was laughing so hard.
She's awfully cute in her speed-lined glasses.
Anyways, go see that movie. If you need to, wait until this weekend. It's opening up on 2,500 more screens, now that the studio is aware that it has a HUGE hit on it's hands. I think I'll see it again, this weekend.

BOYFRIENDED/ GIRLFRIENDED
Speaking of the girl, she looked over at me on Friday night, after we spooned and said that I am cleared to call her "my girlfriend" now. I kissed her and thanked her. We're taking things slowly, which is fine with me. It's nice to see that we are actually moving forward though. I like calling her "my girlfriend" and I suppose that means that she calls me her "boyfriend". I like the hint of possession that those terms infer. I like being possessed, just a little bit.

I'm also starting to figure out some of her moves and motivations. I don't want to elaborate, though. She checks this blog, from time to time. And a fella has got to maintain some of his mysteries. Suffice it to say, we're gelling more smoothly, these days. We are getting to know each other, better, as time progresses.

I adore her.

MOUSE UPDATE
I remain convinced that our mousey visitor is still a bachelor. Since my initial sighting on Thursday night, I've only seen him once more. And that was to quickly dart out from the radiator and then to go back again.
I think that he's residing in the wall around the radiator.
I laid traps for him, on both sides of the radiator. I've baited them with peanut butter. (And one trap that is in his travel path, that ISN'T baited, thinking that he might run right over in, trapping himself.
On Sunday morning, while I was in my office, he set off the unbaited trap, but it didn't catch him. I don't know if that means that he's going to stay away, now that he knows that there are traps or what, but I've reset the traps and they're waiting for him. I hope to produce a mouse carcass, some time soon.
My girlfriend says that she's not coming over until I do.
(goddammit).

ROUND AND ROUND WITH JOE.
I dunno why, but Joe was a little hard to be around, this weekend. He wasn't necessarily a shithead, but he did pull a lot of little, annoying stunts that sort of got on my nerves. Want some examples of what I'm talking about?
- Some time last week, Joe drank so much at a Gwar show, that he A.) came home and threw up in the bathroom (which he denied later and then has refused to clean up) and B.) cooked a 4 am morning meal with my food. (Something that we've agreed not to do.) The dishes from that meal are still in the sink. (Something else that we've agreed not to do.)
-Joe says that he's terrified of rats and mice, so the mouse problem is entirely mine to deal with. When I've mentioned to him that he needs to keep the kitchen clean (so as not to attract them) and tidy his room up (so as to provide them with less places to hide), he's acted petulant and hurt. As if I'm calling him a bad person or judging him for the way that he chooses to live. He's grudgingly assured me that he'll take care of both of them. But as I write this, the dishes are still in the sink and his room is still a Six Flags: Greater Chicago for mice and other rodentia.
-On Sunday morning, Joe walked into my office to sheepishly confess that he'd eaten some more of my food. Despite the fact that he'd done grocery shopping, two days before. I guess my food looked better to him. He promised to replace it and I didn't push the issue, but it was still annoying. The rules that we maintain, to keep a civilized house are being tested for no good reason. And it's really annoying me.
-Additionally, I've made several efforts lately to involve Joe in social events outside of the apartment. I tried to get him to come to the bar with me (he refused, because his wrassling was on) and last night I tried to get him to come see Borat with me (he refused, because he was watching football with another guy friend.) I've tried to get him to come to the Burlesque show and go drinking with us, afterwards. He's refused that, too.
Joe has complained in the past that he doesn't hang out with his roommates and that he didn't feel comfortable being with them, outside of the apartment. I don't know if Brad and Chris made this much effort to include him, but if they did and he shut them down as much as he has shut me down, I bet they quit inviting him out. That's what I want to do. Joe doesn't seem to WANT to be included. And that's annoying, too.

Living with a roommate this week has been tough. I've spent some time hiding in my room, watching tv and letting Joe have his run of the living room.

AN EARLY VISIT FROM SANTA CLAUS...
Yesterday, I booked a ticket for a quick flight home to Louisville to play The Big Man for a church event, again. I fly in to KY on a Friday evening. I visit the tykes the next day at noon and then fly out at 5pm, back to Chicago. In return for the 24 hour visit to the KY, I get miles for my southwest acct., dinner and breakfast with my mom, the thrill of bringing my interpretation of Santa to about a hundred low-income kids. The time that they get with me is the most that these kids get with ANY Santa. I love the one on one time and the tour of the holiday decorations that they've made. And I get a TON of pictures taken with the kids. Additionally, the people at this church, love my Santa so much, that they agree to fly me out each year to make an appearance. And there's a certain amount of pride that comes with being that GOOD of a Santa. That they're interested in booking me, each year. So, that's nice.
Saturday, after the gig, I have to fly back to Chicago, get unpacked, rest a bit and then go perform the Belmont Burlesque Review. From Santa to Cousin Joe in less than a day. Crazy times.

Speaking of the BBR, you probably should check out this video. It's a REALLY wonderful commercial for our show, featuring footage shot by Fuzzy and edited by Ms. Pixy. (And it's mostly workplace safe, featuring ladies in their skivvies, but not nude.) It's A LOT of fun!
Do check it out, won't you?




FEATURING INTERNATIONAL STINGER AS BIZ-CO!
Stinger had a show on Friday night, at the Playground. As luck would have it, it was a buy-out by a Mental Health Association of Chicago. The place was PACKED with them. (All volunteers.) They had Chicago's Best pizza and an onstage bar and were really excited to be there. (Sometimes, I forget how exciting the Playground is to folks on their first visit. I'm so used to seeing it, that it doesn't phase me much, anymore.)
Stinger was first in the lineup and I had the idea that we might interview some folks from the company and get information about them and lampoon them onstage. The ladies in charge of the event LOVED the idea and they loaded me up with info. I offered it to the other two teams that were playing that night and they weren't all that interested. So, I downloaded everything that I had into Stinger and we set out to parody their company.
It was GREAT! Actual names of people at their ACTUAL company appeared. I played the Chairman of the Board and he was a lecherous drunk. Ben played their wise, but beleaguered intern, Justin. Kathy was their President, who we gave a TERRIBLE gambling problem to. During the show, I brought their ACTUAL bar into the show and stole ACTUAL wine bottles from them and sipped it quietly, backstage. At one point, was backstage, listening to Stinger have a wonderful, nuanced two person scene, while I sipped wine and ate brownies that I stole from the dessert table, too. A surreal moment, but one that I'll always remember. Drinking backstage, during a show, a benefit for the Mental Health Advocates of Chicago.
Nice!

HALLOWEENER, 2006!
Did I mention that I was an "evil version" of myself at Halloween this year?
No?
Well, look at this!


If I were a tougher dude or worked at a less conservative workplace, I would wear my facial hair like that, all the time. I think that the "trident" look works for me. That is some EVIL facial hair.

UPDATED TREK!
Finally saw the updated episodes of Star Trek; TOS and they're every bit as good as I want them to be. The footage of the ship, in space, is nothing short of lovely and the colors of the actual episodes just jump out at you. If you haven't recently, it's time to look at Star Trek with new eyes. It's a lovely future, now.

LOOKING AHEAD
-I'm looking forward to a few things this coming week.
CHARMING has a show on Wednesday. I love playing with Bob and Stacey. So patient and you can literally bring them ANYTHING onstage and it'll be worked with. And worked with, very well.
-Sometime this week, I want to meet up with my girlfriend and Smooch Her Dang-Old Face Off. (Looking forward to that.)
-No shows all weekend long, I am looking forward to the rest time, at home. Maybe the girl and I can begin watching Carnivale together. Assuming that I can produce a mouse carcass, some time soon.
-I still have entire seasons of Justice League Unlimited, Batman Beyond, The Flash and King of the Hill, at home to watch. (Also, Lost 2.0, which I haven't even cracked the seal on, yet.) That should fill up my evening, quite nicely.

Things are good and they look to stay this good, for a while. I sincerely hope that wherever you are, things are as good (if not better) on your side of the computer screen.

Cheers,
Mr.B